Bhubaneswar: Opposition BJD Tuesday called upon Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi to “prove his tribal identity” and save the life and livelihood of the Adivasis in Malkangiri, who are facing inundation due to the Polavaram project of neighbouring Andhra Pradesh.
Addressing a press conference in Bhubaneswar, senior BJD leader Debi Prasad Mishra voiced concern over the “continued violations and unilateral progress” of the Polavaram project by the Andhra Pradesh government, allegedly with the active support of the Centre.
The Polavaram project, situated on the Godavari river, is a multi-purpose project intended for irrigation, power generation, water supply, and river diversion.
It has become a controversial project with neighbouring states Odisha, Telangana and Chhattisgarh opposing it, fearing the submergence of land and villages.
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The matter is currently pending with the Supreme Court, with petitions filed by Odisha, Chhattisgarh, and Telangana. The central government has declared Polavaram a national project and sanctioned funds in this financial year’s budget.
The BJD leader asserted that Odisha’s interests, particularly those of tribal communities in Malkangiri, must not be compromised.
“As we have a Chief Minister from the tribal community, he should come forward and save the life and livelihood of the tribals of Malkangiri district,” Mishra said.
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called a meeting May 28 to review the Polavaram Project, but neither the Odisha CM nor ministers appear to be aware of it. This raises doubts about Odisha’s representation and whether the state’s interests will be defended effectively,” he claimed.
Majhi Monday said that he has no idea about Modi’s proposed meeting with the CMs of the states involved.
Mishra said that the Polavaram Project, originally approved with a discharge capacity of 36 lakh cusecs in 2006, was later unilaterally revised to 56 lakh cusecs, a clear violation of the Godavari Water Dispute Tribunal (GWDT) recommendations.
This revision, done without the consent of Odisha or other riparian states, raises serious concerns about potential submergence and displacement in Odisha, the BJD leader said.
Denying the BJP-led Odisha government’s allegations that the former BJD regime was indifferent to the issue, Mishra claimed that it was the BJD administration which filed a case in the Supreme Court in 2007.
“We fought politically in Parliament, in the Assembly, and on the ground. Even former chief minister Naveen Patnaik held direct consultations with affected tribal communities in 2024,” he said.
He alleged that despite the lack of forest and environmental clearances and a stop-work order from the Ministry of Environment and Forests in 2011, work on the project has continued. The granting of National Project status in 2014 post-Andhra Pradesh’s bifurcation, has only accelerated these violations, the BJD leader alleged.
The absence of a fresh backwater study following the change in project design was another major concern highlighted by Mishra.
The BJD criticised the Majhi government for remaining passive despite being in office for a year.
Mishra highlighted that the Supreme Court, in its September 6, 2022 order, called for a high-level stakeholder meeting—a directive yet to be fulfilled.
“We urge the Ministry of Jal Shakti and Ministry of Environment to convene such a meeting within this month,” he said.
Other BJD leaders like Pradeep Majhi (former MP), Manas Madkami and Bhrgu Baxipatra also alleged that the BJP government was “indifferent” towards the tribal issues being created by the Polavaram project.
PTI
